Scott Brown defends GDSI role

We talked yesterday about former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), currently on the campaign trail in his newly adopted state, and his curious relationship with a company called Global Digital Solutions Inc. The Republican candidate addressed questions on the matter yesterday for the first time.

“It’s a startup company that I’ve been on the board for, what seven, eight months, offering any type of advice when asked,” Brown said in a brief interview after a campaign event at a local gas station highlighting his energy plans.

Brown defended the legitimacy of the company, Global Digital Solutions Inc., dismissing concerns that it has announced a series of acquisitions that have not been completed. Among them was an announcement in March that it intended to buy Remington Arms Co. LLC, one of the world’s largest gun manufacturers, for more than $1 billion. That was greeted with derision by Remington and others in the industry.

“Yeah, it’s a legitimate company,” Brown said. “It’s filed the appropriate paperwork. It’s doing what every other startup company does.”

Hmm.

Global Digital Solutions Inc. was founded as a beauty supply company in New Jersey. Then it became a telecommunications company. Then it marketed itself as a firearms manufacturer.

According to the Boston Globe, GDSI, which has no physical office space anywhere, has “no current products, no revenue, no patents, no trademarks, no manufacturing facilities, and no experience developing weapons.” Indeed, there’s nothing to suggest this firearms manufacturer actually makes or sells firearms.

So to say it’s “doing what every other startup company does” may be true insofar as its “paperwork” is concerned, but on most other scores, Global Digital Solutions seems a little different.

Indeed, while it was good of Brown to finally offer some insights into his relationship with the Florida company, he failed to shed light on some pertinent details.

For example, how exactly did Brown forge a relationship with GDSI in the first place? The Senate candidate didn’t say. What kind of advice did Brown, who has no background in firearms manufacturing, give to the firearms manufacturer? He didn’t say.

Brown did acknowledge that he received stock from the company originally valued at $1.3 million, though the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Republican has not sold any of his shares.

His campaign also said Brown “plans to postpone” filing his financial disclosure form with the U.S. Senate “for a few months,” despite the upcoming Senate election and primary. His aides described this as “routine.”

Note, Brown is one of two former Republican officeholders to join up with GDSI: in April 2013, former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll (R) joined the company as a senior adviser. A month prior, Carroll was forced to abruptly resign from office after her company was accused of helping oversee a fraudulent veterans’ charity and using gambling at Internet cafes to launder money.